Garrett Saundry
Out of an abundance of caution, our team at Webnames.ca would like to draw attention to a wave of misleading renewal messages being sent to domain owners across Canada, including some customers of Webnames.ca.
These messages can be easy to mistake for a legitimate renewal notice, as they have been written and designed to mimic renewal reminders sent by accredited domain registrars. These messages have not been sent by Webnames.ca and are not associated with us in any way.
Our aim is to help you spot these messages quickly, understand what’s really going on, and know exactly what to do if one lands in your inbox.
What These Emails Look Like
Customers have shared examples with subject lines like:
- “Action required: keep www.yourdomain.ca renewal notification service active”
- “Renewal notifications for www.yourdomain.ca”
At first glance, they look and feel credible. They can reference your real domain name, business name, and mailing address, all of which can be pulled from publicly available domain registration data.
The messages, however, are not linked to your domain registration and will not renew your domain with Webnames.ca. Instead, they attempt to pressure recipients into paying for a third‑party “notification service” that you don’t need.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
Predatory emails of this kind frequently employ tactics such as urgency, personalization and familiarity which generate an emotional response that scammers know can result in quick reactive actions.
These emails may feature one or more of the following:
- Claims that a “domain renewal notification service” is expiring
- Request for CAD $180.00 (or a similar amount) for a one‑year term
- Buttons like “View Invoice” or “Pay Now”
- Suggest that services will continue unless you cancel by replying
- Offer payment via credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay and clickable payment links
- Appear to come from organizations with official‑sounding names, such as DMS Canada
- Use sender addresses like info@dmscanada.net, info@idscanada.org, or something similar
What We Want You to Know
Regardless of what notices you might receive, please be advised that:
- Only Webnames.ca can renew domain names that are registered with us (unless they are transferred to another registrar at least one week prior to the expiry date
- We do not sell or support any service called “domain renewal notification service”
- Paying these invoices will not renew your domain name at Webnames.ca
- Legitimate Webnames.ca communications will never try to confuse or pressure you into payment
Remember, if you are ever in doubt or something feels off, you should verify high-pressure requests through a separate, trusted channel before acting – for instance, contacting our Support Team via email, live chat or our toll free phone number 1-866-221-7878.
What to Do If You Receive One of These Emails
If you receive one of these notices, or are unsure about a the legitimacy of an email in general, we recommend that you:
- Do not click any links or buttons
- Do not reply to the sender
- Do not submit payment or personal information
- Contact us, or the company that is your service provider, via an external channel not indicated in the email. Any service provider should be happy to double-check and verify for you.
If you know the message is not legitimate, mark it as spam / phishing in your email system or simply delete it.
Reporting Phishing Emails in Canada
If you wish to go one step further, phishing attempts can also be reported to the Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre (CAFC), the national authority that tracks fraud and cybercrime in coordination with the RCMP, via the following channels:
- Online: https://reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca
- By phone: 1‑888‑495‑8501 (Mon–Fri, business hours, ET)
You can report quickly and have the option to report anonymously if you wish to share helpful information without being identified.
Helpful details to include:
- Full email headers
- Sender address and domain
- Links or attachments
- Screenshots of the message
- Any interaction or payment details (if applicable)
We’re Always Here to Help
Protecting your domain names and your information is something Webnames.ca has always taken very seriously. We are rigorous about security, information handling and take both concerns and complaints seriously. Our expereinced team will always make the time to investigate issues and answer our customers’ questions.
If you have questions, need assistance, or want to verify the authenticity of a message, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer support team.
Thank you for taking time to stay informed and for trusting Webnames.ca with your online presence.